Gyms are Deemed Safe & Low Risk for COVID Transmission

Written by Alex Schwartz, Director of Marketing, Midtown Athletic Clubs

In mid-December, the state of New York released contact-tracing data tracking the major sources of new COVID spread. In their report, gyms accounted for less than one tenth of one percent of spread. In other words, insignificant. Governor Cuomo, commenting about the numbers, noted "…we have so many protocols on the gyms…they are not major spreaders on the numbers."

Also, in December, the University of Oregon’s consulting group released a study on the correlation between gym attendance and COVID spread, using a comprehensive public database from the state of Colorado. They found no correlation at all. In other words, gyms were not contributing to the spread of the disease. You can read more about the study here.

Both studies point to one core reason why health clubs are shown to be a safer environment than bars, restaurants, and retail—the safety protocols implemented by gyms since COVID work. The use of masks, social distancing, outdoor spaces, and in the case of Midtown, ICU-grade continuous air sanitation technology—greatly reduces the risk of spread within the club. Our own club data supports this conclusion. We have seen no evidence of COVID spread between members at any of our club locations, since the beginning of the pandemic.

If you are interested in learning more about the mitigation steps Midtown is taking to keep the clubs safe, we highly recommend reading our overview page of the cleaning and safety measures in place at midtown.com/clean.